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P-Ratt

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Now see here. Nikki and I have a wee little "blog" of our very own. Not much to brag about, but I did insert a little bit on the parking at A&M. My take on it. I also have other little bike bits here and there. Ya'll are welcome to pay a visit.



:D
 
Mark,
There was an artice in the AMA mag a few months back about a road back east that was closed to motorcyclists for years. Someone did some investigating and discovered that since the county accepted Federal funds for road repair/construction they couldn't exclude any legal motor vehicle from using any roads and thus the law was changed.

I'm wondering if a similar law could be found regarding state/federal funds received by A&M?
 
according to the TAMU parking rules on the web. you can get parking permits, but you can only park in motorcycle parking only. So, the question is , how many motorcycle parking spaces are there on the campus? (see the last statement below)
Permit Placement

Hangtags should be suspended from the vehicle's rearview mirror with the entire permit visible through the front windshield from outside the vehicle.

Self-adhering permits should be permanently affixed to the front windshield in the lower front windshield, on the passenger side of the vehicle.

Placards and special permits should be visible on the dashboard, driver's side of the vehicle.

Motorcycle permits are self-adhering and must be permanently affixed to the rear of the bike, as close to the license plate as possible.

Can I pre-register for a motorcycle permit on the web?
No, Motorcycle permits may be purchased online beginning July 29. There is no wait list to join and we do not sell out of this type of permit.


Motorcycles, mopeds, scooters and bicycles must be parked in designated Motorcycle parking areas and must not be parked in the parking garages or in any parking spaces striped or marked for automobiles or bicycles.
 
Good luck with the parking Nazis. Just don't expect common sense to carry the discussion :mad:
 
ok here is my .02$

Since the wonderful and great Rod Weis has stepped into transportation services it has gotten even worse. He is part of the reason I quit driving a bus for the university. Since they have made parking so rediculous, and coupled with gas prices, the motorcycle population on campus has spiked. Since then there have been very few motorcycle lots added. Last week, on three different days, I was unable to find a spot when i got to school with out resorting to parking lot sharking, the very thing they were trying to avoid by screwing up all the car lots in the first place. I checked FOUR! lots.. one of which is impossible to get your bike on because you cant get to one side due to a bike rack in the way, and the other side forces you to jump a curb. Maybe its just me, but i dont feel comfortable trying to jump my 400+ lb bandit up a curb into a foot and a half wide spot without hitting my fellow riders bikes. So one of these days, i decided to park off to the side of one of these parking lots since i had to be at work, then later i would come down and move it into a spot. I was parked completley out of the way, but does that matter, nope. They slapped a 40 dollar ticket on the bike for being there less than 30 minutes. They are not in the buisness of helping their customers. They are in the buissness of taking advantage of a captive audiance to help fund there leather interior tahoes and brand new aprillia scooters the parking crew drives around. This may sounds a bit sarcastic but every word is true. I write in a manner of an unhappy customer because that is what I am.

Oh, and not to mention how motorcycles cant park anywere else on campus including the 30 minute parking for guests.... Ok i have to step away from the computer, this gets my blood boiling every time...
 
Hey, P-Ratt, maybe somebody should take a cue from the article you included in your blog and get the AMA to open one of their cans of [expletive removed] on A&M. ;-)

Oh, and BTW, I'm not I'd want your bike on a University parking lot, what with its emissions and all. :p

Cowasaki1.gif
 
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this is a BIG issue that I hope the club can take on.

We have contacted the Batt about an interview but I don't think anyone has followed up on it....
 
The state recognizes motorcycles as equals to cars. They have to in order to get federal $$$. A&M doesn't since all their funds come from elsewhere. The private institution bit has been tossed around (flaunted) a bit.
 
Huh?

The Texas A&M system is state-funded, they are part of the Permanent University Fund. In addition they get million$ in federal research money in the form of grants. One of which was used to buy a cluster from us. They are FAR from a private institution.
 
uberhawk said:
Huh?

The Texas A&M system is state-funded, they are part of the Permanent University Fund. In addition they get million$ in federal research money in the form of grants. One of which was used to buy a cluster from us. They are FAR from a private institution.


I think he ment that Transportation Services is not state funded, because it isnt
 
and since TS is supposidly a seperate institution form A&M....

but that's a whole nother can of worms
 
The $$$ I am referring to is the federal highway dollars. If the state doesn't do certain things, they get their allocation of funds reduced or cut. A&M doesn't have that sort of thing to mess with. They certainly get tons of gov't $$$ from all over, just not the $$$ to convince them that bikes need to be accommodated.
 
Just a heads up...

TAMU is still doesn't allow bikes in the garages. I was recently on campus and decided to park in the Northgate garage (former student so I don't have a parking pass.) No problem getting in, but on the way out the lady at the booth decided to raise holy heck about it. The lady didn't want to take my money.

It was a comical situation, but very frustrating. Perhaps someone with a better understanding of "The Law" could pop up and give some guidance on how to handle these situations.

A&M isn't the only place that pulls this crap...

As for the MC ONLY lots - ever try to put a Goldwing in one of those spots? If I back in and touch my trunk to the wall, my handlebars are in the "driveway" my saddlebags take up about half of the two adjoining spaces when I'm on the centerstand. I'd rather pay a couple bucks more and not trip over someone else's bike getting off mine.

I feel really bad for the CanAm or hack riders (I've seen a couple on campus over the years)
 
Campus parking situations are universally pathetic, I think. UNT generally carves up regular parking spaces so the slots are very narrow and very long. Awkward to say the least.
 
IIRC UT Austin is the same. Motorcycle parking on campus lots is only in designated spots and you must have a permit.

When I was at UT you had to have a permit, but the motorcycle spots were close to buildings, and almost never full. It was a great way to get around campus! Well, there was one right in front of the pharmacy building, and once at school we walked every where else. Yes, you had to have a permit, but it was much cheaper than the parking garage permit ($400 per SEMESTER). I think it was around $80 per year (I didn't ride back then, but my room mate did). Sounds like at A&M there is NO WHERE to park. Shame really, there are so many great reasons to ride a bike in central Texas.

Edit: This may be the first time I have ever posted in a near 7 year-old thread!
 
When I was at UT you had to have a permit, but the motorcycle spots were close to buildings, and almost never full. It was a great way to get around campus! I think it was around $80 per year (I didn't ride back then, but my room mate did). Sounds like at A&M there is NO WHERE to park. .
QUOTE]

My permit is $80/year and the lot I usually park in is right next to a $500/year car space. I've never seen the 3 lots within a block of where I work full. The problem that I see is you have to have a permit to park a bike on campus. You can visit all you want in a car but MCs aren't allowed to park in 30 minute visitor parking or even in the "pay daily to park" garages. If you are visiting campus on a MC, you have to park off campus. Good luck finding a spot.

I have been riding a motorcycle to A&M for nearly 8 years total (4 as a student and 4 as an employee). Most of the buildings have MC parking close. I did a quick count of MC lots and came up with 55 on the main campus. Convenient, cheap, and close. I'll keep riding. People like Mark that don't own a car are out of luck. It shouldn't be like that.
 
Wow. Sorry about resurrecting an archaic thread - I have a bad habit of finding the most random stuff... I'll try to remember that whole linear time thing in the future, if I happen to be headed that direction...

As for the situation at hand - I, honestly, just park inappropriately. I've never had a problem except for a $5 fine at TAMUG. I figure that if they *really* took an issue, it'd be worth the fine to watch them try to tow my bike without demolishing the two bikes parked on either side. It'd either be REALLY impressive or REALLY amusing to me.

I *want* to pay the parking fee and be proper - but if someone doesn't want my money I'll only work so hard to make them take it.

If this weren't such a pain in the hind end, there'd be a great Aggie Joke in it.


Any opinions from the legally minded folks on a resolution / compromise to these issues?



When I was at UT you had to have a permit, but the motorcycle spots were close to buildings, and almost never full. It was a great way to get around campus! I think it was around $80 per year (I didn't ride back then, but my room mate did). Sounds like at A&M there is NO WHERE to park. .
QUOTE]

My permit is $80/year and the lot I usually park in is right next to a $500/year car space. I've never seen the 3 lots within a block of where I work full. The problem that I see is you have to have a permit to park a bike on campus. You can visit all you want in a car but MCs aren't allowed to park in 30 minute visitor parking or even in the "pay daily to park" garages. If you are visiting campus on a MC, you have to park off campus. Good luck finding a spot.

I have been riding a motorcycle to A&M for nearly 8 years total (4 as a student and 4 as an employee). Most of the buildings have MC parking close. I did a quick count of MC lots and came up with 55 on the main campus. Convenient, cheap, and close. I'll keep riding. People like Mark that don't own a car are out of luck. It shouldn't be like that.
 
Wow. Sorry about resurrecting an archaic thread - I have a bad habit of finding the most random stuff... I'll try to remember that whole linear time thing in the future, if I happen to be headed that direction...
I don't mind that much. Kind of fun to see something so old revisit. I know I am not joined in this entirely.

My permit is $80/year and the lot I usually park in is right next to a $500/year car space. I've never seen the 3 lots within a block of where I work full. The problem that I see is you have to have a permit to park a bike on campus. You can visit all you want in a car but MCs aren't allowed to park in 30 minute visitor parking or even in the "pay daily to park" garages. If you are visiting campus on a MC, you have to park off campus. Good luck finding a spot.

I have been riding a motorcycle to A&M for nearly 8 years total (4 as a student and 4 as an employee). Most of the buildings have MC parking close. I did a quick count of MC lots and came up with 55 on the main campus. Convenient, cheap, and close. I'll keep riding. People like Mark that don't own a car are out of luck. It shouldn't be like that.

Thankfully, my days of riding on campus are over (for now.) I haven't given this topic more than a passing thought in the last couple of years. But yes, it does still annoy me to see blatant discrimination from a public institution.

I miss the old days where you could park a motorcycle at any bicycle rack and nobody cared a lick. Then I would not worry much about garage spaces when visiting. :sun:
 
Interesting thread as my Son is hearing off next fall to college.
Most likely he will be headed to the University of Alabama, so I just pulled thier rules:

Motorcycles and Motorized Scooters

Motorcycle and motorized scooters permits will be valid for one year from August 16th through August 15th of the following year. Individuals that have a current University of Alabama vehicle permit will not be charged to register their motorcycle or motorized scooter. All motorcycles and motorized scooters are required to park in the designated areas corresponding to the individual's University permit. Motorcycle and motorized scooter spaces will be designated by signage and or ground markings. Motorcycles and motorized scooters are not to park in vehicle spaces or pedestrian areas. Violators are subject to fines and impoundment.

Then there is a link to show you where the approved mc parking is.
 
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